Arizona First Amendment Coalition

10/18/2024

https://downtowndevil.com/journalist-ethics-election-2024/

10/17/2024

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/14/opinion/editorials/press-act-reporters-leaks-whistleblower.html

The PRESS Act has unanimous support in the House, but a few senators are blocking it.

09/15/2024

What a terrific day and event! Covering elections in the age of misinformation is a real challenge. But on Saturday, we gathered some of the best journalists in Phoenix, to discuss ways to accurately inform our viewers and readers about what’s real and true - and what’s not.

Thank you to Dennis, Brahm, Lauren, Yvonne, Jessica, Mark, Garrett and Thom for sharing your experience, insight and tips.

And thanks to my co-organizers - Mark Scarp and Tim Eigo for helping to turn this from an idea into an event.

This was made possible by the collaboration of two amazing organizations. The Valley of the Sun Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and The Arizona First Amendment Coalition. Please support these groups.

08/25/2024

Arizona journalists: Seats are limited. Sign up today!

Attention Arizona Journalists! 📢

With the general election on the horizon, we’re highlighting an invaluable opportunity for you. On Sept. 14, SPJ’s Valley of the Sun chapter and the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona are hosting a FREE workshop, "Covering Elections in the Age of Misinformation." Featured speakers include top journalists and elections experts who will share their insights to help you navigate election coverage. This nonpartisan event is open to all Arizona journalists and journalism students.

📅 When: Saturday, Sept. 14, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
📍 Where: Westward Ho Hotel, Phoenix

RSVP now to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3AiMm5R

SPJ Phoenix

02/15/2024

Hear media law attorney Peter Limperis of Miller, Pitt, Feldman & McAnally, P.C., answer questions about public records, public meetings and other access issues journalists often ask at "Getting Access 2: More Good Journalism," a free public records workshop, Saturday, March 23, in downtown Phoenix. He will be joined by several journalist panelists who will give tips on getting access to records, meetings and hearings.
The coalition recently revived its media legal hotline, and Mr. Limperis volunteered to provide free basic legal advice to Arizona journalists on access to government matters.
His presentation at the March 23 workshop will be from 1 to 1:45 p.m. The workshop's location and other details will be posted soon at https://phoenixspj.org -- information about how to contact Mr. Limperis on the coalition legal hotline is on that site now .

Serving journalists in the Phoenix metropolitan area since 1958

01/26/2024

The Arizona First Amendment Coalition media hotline is back! At no cost, Arizona professional and student journalists can ask a media lawyer questions re access to , , in . Arizona Press Club Arizona Latino Media Association AAJA Arizona Details:

Serving journalists in the Phoenix metropolitan area since 1958

10/02/2021

Editorial by Kim Smith of the Eastern Arizona Courier.

On Thursday morning, I received an email from the Town of Pima informing me that when former Town Manager Sean Lewis resigned he took with him four months' salary and

10/25/2020

Please join First Amendment Coalition attorney, Dan Barr, his Perkins Coie law partner, Markus Funk, Tonu Basu of the Open Government Partnership and Guido Nessi of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for a free webinar about international issues concerning anti-corruption enforcement and government transparency that have arisen during the Covid pandemic. The discussion will be moderated by Betsy Andersen, the Executive Director of the World Justice Project. The webinar is this Wednesday, October 28th at 7 a.m. Arizona time. (Sorry about that, but two of the panelists are in Europe).

The World Justice Challenge 2021: Advancing the Rule of Law in a Time of Crisis seeks to identify, recognize, and promote good anti-corruption and open government practices and high-impact projects and policies that protect and advance the rule of law in this time of unprecedented crisis. The COVID-...

08/31/2020

An excellent deep dive by The American Prospect on how prison officials have used the pandemic as an excuse to further block media access to prisons. The recent experience in Arizona is discussed.

Journalists are having trouble contacting sources, and inmates who speak on the record face retaliation.

07/17/2020

First Amendment Coalition attorney Dan Barr talks with Jimmy Jenkins of KJZZ about the Arizona Department of Corrections' new, more restrictive media policy.

Arizona Department of Corrections Director David Shinn has drastically altered the department media policy regarding staff and inmate communication with the press.“Department Order 207 – Media Relations” was updated July 9, 2020, excluding an entire section regarding media access to inmates.

07/15/2020

ABC15's Melissa Blasius on the Mesa Police Department's blurring out an entire bodycam video lasting more than half an hour in disregard of the Arizona Public Records Law.

Mesa police claim they were legally required to completely blur the police body-worn camera video of a December officer-involved shooting prior to publicly releasing it.

04/28/2020

Well done piece by ABC15’s Dave Biscobing.

Arizona officials in multiple agencies are unlawfully withholding data, statistics, and information regarding COVID-19 outbreaks and abusing health privacy laws, according to top experts in public information and health privacy laws.